Cue-clutch.



PATENTED NOV. 5. 1907.

J. J. GALLAGHAN.

our; CLUTCH. APPLIcATmN' FILED MAR. 29. 1907.

THE NDRRIS PETERS 7, of which are not feasible.

UNITED STATES JEREMIAH J. CALLAGHAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CUE-CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1907.

Application filed March 29.1907. Serial No. 365,310=

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEREMIAH .I. CALLAGHAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the county of St. Louis City and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cue-Clutches, of which the following is a specification. 1

This invention relates to what I shall for convenience term a cue clutch.

In playing billiards, pool, and other similar games it is one of the customs of the player to crook the index finger of one hand to use as a holder and guide for the cue, while the butt portion'of said cue is grasped by the other hand for the purpose of thrusting the cue forward to make a shot. There is one decided disadvantage in this use of the one when the hand is damp or moist from perspiration. In such a case as this the moisture acts to check or retard the forward motion of the cue, and it frequently happens that a player who believes he is getting a bead on his object ball makes a miscue or a poor shot simply from the condition mentioned. Experts use lotions to prevent this perspiration, and other expedients have been adopted for this purpose, some of which fall short of their intended functions and others The flesh of the index finger when prominent, as it usually is, also prevents the delicate and accurate holding of the cue, so that there is sometimes a tendency of the cue to wabble if held too lightly, or, if grasped tightly, free movement of the cue is not possible.

It is my object to overcome the difiiculties mentioned and in doing this I provide a sleeve or tube through which the cue passes. In the present case this sleeve or tube is encircled or partly surrounded by the index finger. I provide in connection with the tube, means of such nature as to preclude the sleeve being thrust from the position it may occupy in use by the forward longitudinal movement of the cue, and this means may be of any desirable character. This is one of the important objects attained by my invention. I prefer to have the means in question of such a character that it serves to positively and accurately position the index finger with relation to the sleeve or tube, so that the device will be of considerable assistance to amateurs in teaching them how to position their hand or what might be properly considered the cueholding hand with respect to the cue. Said means may be of any desirable character so long as it insures the two results mentioned.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification I show in detail one form of embodiment of the invention which, to enable those skilled in the art to practice the same and for this purpose alone, will be set forth in detail in the following description, while the novelty of the invention will be included in the claims succeeding said description.

Referring to said drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the manner of using said form of the device. Figs. 2 and 3 are like views of the device viewed from different angles.

Like characters refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

The device consists of a sleeve or tube 2, and this I prefer to make somewhat elongated and of any desirable material. I prefer, however, to use some relatively soft or yieldable substance'for this purpose; leather has been found by me quite satisfactory. The internal form of the tube or sleeve 2 is circular in crosssection so as to adapt the same to the external shape of the cue which, as will be understood, has a longitudinal movement through the tube, the latter serving as a guide for the cue to prevent lateral, vibratory or wabbling motion thereof. In use, what might be considered the inner end of the sleeve fits the hollow between the thumb and index finger, while the forward end thereof rests against the second finger between the ends of the latter, by reason of which the tube or sleeve can be partly surrounded by the index finger. As a matter of fact, this is one of the positions in which the hand is placed in guiding a cue. In the present case, however, the hand which holds the tube does not come in contact with the one, so that any perspiration that may be on the hand cannot retard in any way the movement of the cue, nor can any inequalities in the formation of the hand affect in anywise the desired endwise movement of such cue. By the motion of the index finger I can gage with accuracy and nicety the exact amount of pressure which must be put upon the cue to insure the correct movement thereof, and the area of contact between the tube and the one is greater than that which would exist between the hand direct and the one and is more uniform, which is advantageous.

I find that a circumferentially plain tube or sleeve 2 will not wholly answer my purpose, for, if the tube be held lightly, it could be pushed from the hand by a sudden forward movement of the cue, which would be disastrous. To eliminate this possibility, I provide means of a positive character which will preclude the tube or sleeve from being displaced by any end-thrust which may be given to the one in playing. This means may be of any desirable-character, although it is preferably of such a nature that there is formed externally of the sleeve a groove or channel extending substantially in a spiral direction partially around the sleeve, by virtue of which the index finger can be accurately and certainly positioned relative to the tube or sleeve.

For securing the results named I have shown upon the outer side of the tube or sleeve 2 two ribs or beads as 3 and 4 which may be of leather, although the material of which they are composed is not essentiaL.

The opposite ends of each of these ribs are shown as enlarged as indicated at 5, and these enlarged ends 5 may be stitched or otherwise suitably secured to the sleeve 2 for holding the ribs in position. The two ribs 3 and 4 extend somewhat spirally or diagonally oi the sleeve 2 and the space between them presents a groove or channel for receiving the index finger. When such index finger lies in such space, and this relation is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, it will not be possible to move the sleeve 2 in an endwise direction during either the forward or backward longitudinal motion of the cue. The two ribs 3 and 4 not only serve to prevent endwise movement of the tube or sleeve, but they accurately position the index finger with relation to the sleeve or tube, which is important in teaching amateurs how to correctly hold the cueguiding hand. This proper positioning of the said hand is equally as effective for expert players.

While the two ribs or beads 3 and 4 may be related in any desirable way, I prefer that their forward ends should converge toward the forward end of the sleeve 2, so that in this manner the space between the same will nicely conform to the taper oi the index finger.

I may provide a set of these sleeves 2, the diameters of which are different and, where a set is employed, the spaces between the ribs 3 and 4 may vary.

The device is adapted to bemade as an article of manufacture separate and distinct from a cue. When not in use it may be slipped from off the cue and placed in a pocket of the player and may be returned to operative position by the player when he wishes to use the device. The latter therefore does not form a permanent part of the one but is adapted for ready and instant removable connection therewith.

What I claim is: I

1. A device of the class described consisting of. a tube provided exteriorly with means between the ends thereof for positively preventing endwise movement of the tube when the same is held in the hand ot a player.

2. A device of the class described consisting of a tube provided with an exterior groove to receive the finger of a hand to positively prevent endwise movement of the tube when the latter is held by the hand;

3. A device of the class described consisting of a tube provided with spirally arranged external ribs separated to provide a finger-receiving space or groove.

4. A device of the class described consisting of a tube provided exteriorly with a plurality of ribs stitched thereto and separated to provide a finger-receiving space.

5. A device of the class described consisting of a tube provided exterior-1y with substantially spirally disposed ribs suitably attached thereto and converging toward one end of the tube.

6. A device of the class described consisting of a tube having substantially spirally disposed ribs provided with enlarged ends suitably attached to the tube.

7. A device of the class described consisting of an elongated tube adapted to be held by the hand of a player and provided with means on the outside between the ends thereof to positively position the'index finger of said hand with respect to the tube.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in preseuce'of two subscribing witnesses. I

' JEREMIAH J. CALLAGHAN.

Witnesses CHAS. S. Hymn, JAMES L. Nomus, Jr. 

